School Pact Fact Finding Under Way

The fact finding hearing for contract negotiations between the Ann Arbor Education Association (AAEA) and the Board of Education began today in the Public Library. Prof. Keith Groty of the Michigan State University School of Labor and Industrial Relations is serving as the fact finder. He was appointed by the Michigan Employment Relations Commission (MERC) after both parties failed to make a selection from the names submitted to them from MERC. The public hearing was requested jointly by the AAEA and the board for non-binding fact finding on the issues of salary, insurance benefits and class size. Both parties further agreed that they would direct the fact finder not to recommend to the board that it spend funds for salary increases in excess of the total income available in the 1971-72 budget. The board's last salary proposal was to provide $782,667 above the base salary cost for 1970-71. lts last proposal for insurance benefits was $81,624 as part of a total fringe package of $138,004. The board's last position for class size was to maintain the present pupil teacher ratio I at the level in the 1970-71 master agreement. The total cost of the association's last salary proposal was $1,002,390 above the base salary cost for 1970-71. The total cost for insurance fringe benefits was $213,000 and the association's position as of Sept. 7 was to maintain the class size at the levéis in the 1970-71 master agreement.